Scottish firefighters to mark Earth Hour

Dawn Renton

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) crews across the country will join millions of people around the world in reducing energy use by switching off non-essential lights for 60 minutes on Saturday, March 19.

The switch-off, which begins at 8:30pm, will not affect the service’s response to incidents or other operations. This is the second time that SFRS has taken part in the global event.

Sarah O’Donnell, SFRS chairman of environmental forum, said: “We’re committed to reducing our carbon footprint and we’ll be joining millions of people and many other organisations in marking this year’s Earth Hour.

“Little changes in behaviour can make a big difference. Turning out non-essential lights is a small step but well worth doing.

“While it’s obviously the case that a fire and rescue service needs to use significant resources to protect communities and respond to emergencies, we’re committed to operating in an environmentally sustainable manner and reducing our impact on the environment.”

Earth Hour was famously started as a lights-off event in Sydney, Australia in 2007. Since then it has grown to engage more than 172 countries and territories worldwide.